Chương 72: Dwarven Racing

"Well, there is a race tonight, if you want to come," Anerac asked me as Healer Melon and I got back from my daily training session. I looked at Healer Melon.

"It is up to you. I'll tag along," he replied with a shrug. While he was technically my guardian, he really let me do whatever I wanted.

"Alright! I will cheer you on," I said. I needed a break, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity to see a bit of dwarven culture.

"Awesome. If I win, well, I might get a Tier 4 driving skill when I break through my bottleneck, then I really will be an elite. I can become a professional driver then and make lots of money," Anerac said and got up. We followed him to his vehicle. I closed my eyes with Healer Melon as Anerac took off.

"Dwarves are the best with machinery and gadgets. You know it was a dwarf who invented the first Mana Compressor? Sure, they talk about the Eldarin Empire, but it was a dwarf who did it. Now everyone is trying to make things more efficient using less Mana. Everyone is going into Balde's Maw for cores to strike it rich."

"Balde's Maw?"

"You humans call it the dungeon, but it is Balde with a silent 'e' at the end. The first dwarf to become a supreme legend and pioneer the way for all other races to enter the place and get Mana cores." The dwarven version of history had a heavy racial slant.

"Now, we focus most of our attention on crafting. That is where real power will come from. Weapons development is also a big topic. The armored carriages are impressive. Nothing that can go toe to toe with a legend just yet, but the Artificers are looking into golems and battle carriages. While it has been tough, we are catching up with you humans in terms of war potential."

"You are telling us this?"

"Everyone knows. The College of Advancement is a big contributor to improving various pieces of technology. A decade ago, this magical carriage would have used 12% more Mana to go at this speed and worn out parts faster. Now, everything is constantly getting better. The dwarves were the first race, you know. We invented everything, including civilization." Now he was talking complete nonsense.

I didn't want to get into an argument with him about history and how the Low Vostner civilization was the first recorded civilization. More recently, over two millennia ago, the Eldarin Empire rose and crushed all other civilizations and forces. The dwarves and elves fought back, but they couldn't resist the overwhelming numbers of humans the Eternal Emperor sent forth to conquer and enslave everything.

When the Eternal Emperor died and his Empire broke apart after a thousand years, there was significant resentment towards humans. Still, everything before the Eldarin Empire was mainly myth and legend. There was the fairy tale Vostner civilization, followed by the Low Vostner, and then the High Vostner civilization, which was based on their runic languages. But they were ancient history. To claim that the dwarves invented civilization and everything else was clearly dwarven propaganda that Anerac had bought into.

But trying to convince him wasn't worth my time or energy. There was no need to spoil the mood by challenging his beliefs. My father had told me that there were crazy people out there and that, when encountering one, the best thing to do was not to disagree with them. They didn't care about logic or facts. They cared only about being right. It was a pointless exercise and a waste of time, unless both sides were actively using social skills to convince the other.

Anerac swerved to a stop as a bunch of other magical carriages gathered in a large parking area at the edge of the city where the wall met the floor of this underground city. I noticed other humans and even elves around them. Healer Melon and I got out. A dwarf strutted over to Anerac.

"Showing up in that old trash heap?"

"All your gold still slowing you down?"

"You might have a high skill level, but that can only do so much against the latest technology."

"Losers talk big, winners win."

"If you can win. I haven't seen it yet." The other dwarf turned away while Anerac glared at his back.

"How does this work?" I asked.

"One lap around the outer road of the city. It's a long lap. Don't worry, we have remote displays, so no one gets bored. Everyone watches the races across the city as if they can like a national holiday. There are tunnels and some uneven sections. Everyone loves watching the race. As my guests, you can wait over there. They have an Illusion Mage show the lead car on the side of the building, so watch me there." Healer Melon and I found a pair of seats with a decent view.

"First race, kid?" an elf asked me.

"Yes. Anything I should watch out for?" I asked.

"The body parts!" he grinned evilly.

"I love watching the dwarves blow themselves up, racing their death contraptions. It's the only thing that keeps me in this city, really." Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. He got some ugly looks from some nearby dwarves, but they didn't object.

"Is it that bad?"

"They all want to unlock a Tier 4 driving skill. No one has managed it yet. The first one to do it will become famous and rich."

"Anerac made it sound like there were other drivers with tier 4 skills, saying he would become a professional."

"They talk big, but you can't just get a Tier 4 skill just by maximizing out a Tier 3 skill. You need to go beyond what is possible. Once one makes it big, they can become a full-time tutor and earn big money test-driving the most expensive magical carriages out there. The competition to design better ones is fierce. The dwarves love competing with their craftsmanship. They think they will clear the depths with their contraptions, which is foolish."

The elf probably meant dungeon when he said depths, but used a race-specific term. Everyone lined up with their vehicles.

"How do they decide the order?"

"Top finishers from last time are in the front. New people are drawn from a lottery." Anerac was near the front with his magical carriage. The elf licked his lips.

"They will start soon. Can't wait until they die." I felt creeped out.

"Any specific reason you dislike them?"

"They are dwarves, you can never trust a dwarf. Remember that, human child." Ah, that hatred had a long cultural history between the two races. The historical betrayals ran much deeper, creating a long history of grudges between the elves and dwarves, and the elves disliked humans because of the Eladrin Empire. The last significant event was when both sides blamed the other for betrayal in a critical battle against the Eldarin Empire, resulting in a loss for both dwarves and elves.

Time erased the truth, and the surviving records of the Eldarin Empire showed they considered both races complete idiots and losers, fit only to be slaves. The Eldarin Empire was not kind in its world conquest.

"Drivers! Stand ready! Start in three! Two! One! Go!" Large green lights went off in time with the announcer's shouting. They were off, and I looked at the image projected on the side of a nearby building, since they left the start of the track incredibly quickly.

"Anerac takes an early lead. Chompton is close behind in second. Telleris is in third but trails behind the main pack. Here we come to the first major turn. Suicide Slam! Anerac speeds up and moves into a full drift! His unique driving support skill! Sparks fly as he barely grazes the guardrails. Chompton takes the turn tightly and accelerates into the stretch. Oh! Our first crash!" In the distance, I heard a boom and saw a cloud of smoke, a fireball rising into the air.

"Double injury, but no fatality!" The crowd cheered, including the dwarves. The Elf next to me pouted. I looked at Healer Melon, who just shook his head. We would not get involved. This was clearly the dwarves' show. They didn't need or want our help.

"This is the next tricky section of the track. The Tunnel! There has been slight flooding, so the road is extra slick. Chompton gains on the lead driver, forcing Anerac to slow down. His tires from Yaxley Corporation boast the highest grip strength in all weather and conditions. Buy Yaxley tires for your driving needs so that nothing will slow you down."

"Our two lead drivers are neck and neck as they come up to the third major part of the track. Old Quarter. Lots of sharp twists and turns. The lead drivers enter. Anerac uses his drift skill to take the corners tightly. Chompton uses faster acceleration and better handling to keep up. Oh, another crash! And another! The racers sure are fierce today, wanting to place highly!"

"Now we come up to the final challenge of the loop around the city. The Bridge over the mining chasm near the entrance to Balde's Maw. Will there be a monster exodus in time for the race? Of course! Or intrepid dwarven adventurers have pushed out monsters onto the track for our enjoyment. Watch them maneuver around the monsters or crush them beneath their vehicles. Both Anerac and Chompton reach the bridge and begin accelerating towards the finish line.

Chompton overtakes Anerac with his superior engine by Jorrin Corporation, makers of the fastest Mana compressor engine on the market."

"And we have a surge of goblins onto the road! Anerac swerves around them in an impressive display of control, while Chompton smashes right through the monsters, crushing them beneath his superior and sturdier frame, crushing them!" At this, the crowd cheered, including the elf next to me, who also politely clapped. The magical carriages inflicted terrible damage on the weak monsters. Blood and gore smeared the road. I had slain enough monsters to be desensitized to the scene.

"Now, this is the final stretch. Chompton is closing the distance, but Anerac…is speeding up! The mad dwarf Anerac is using a custom blend of Mana-compressed fuel, using a higher grade of Mana core. That stuff isn't cheap and is likely to blow out an engine. You can tell by the orange tint in his exhaust. It is going to be close! And Anerac wins by a half a car length!" The crowd cheered.

"And we have some finishing crashes! Those goblins sure made a mess of the road and the trailing cars!" Surprisingly, there were no fatalities, but some injuries were quite severe.

"Permanent scarring there for sure. Flames are never good for healing points. And those flames are Mana-infused, so even worse," Healer Melon pointed out to me, but the elf overheard.

"You are a Healer?" the elf asked.

"Yes, Healer Melon from the Five Star Institute of Healing."

"I am Flesh Crafter Triffalin. Surprised to see a human Healer at an event like this."

"I am watching my ward," he said, gesturing to me.

"Justin Burnstock," I greeted the elf.

"Oh? Any relationship to Supreme Warlady Elena Burnstock?"

"She is my mother," I replied, and he slowly nodded. I could see a touch of fear behind his stoic expression.

"Brave of you to be out here with no guards," he said while glancing around.

"Are you going to attack me?"

"Ah, no. Of course not. Well, time to make some coin. A shame that no one died in this race. Suppose you are interested in work, Healer Melon, or a custom job, Justin Burnstock. In that case, you can find my clinic in the commercial district by the large fountain with the gaudy dwarven dancers," Flesh Crafter Triffalin said before leaving.

"Flesh Crafters, a distasteful profession," Healer Melon said after the elf had disappeared.

"Really?"

"They don't heal, only shape. There are often complications from their work. While they can relieve the suffering of individuals afflicted by long-term or complicated injuries, most are just a step above butchers."

"But the Five Star Institute of Healing has flesh crafters."

"Yes, but they certify them after years of work. But unlike healing, flesh crafting has persisted in various traditions and back-alley healing for a long time. While I do not doubt that Flesh Crafter Triffalin is a professional, the injured dwarves will be desperate for his help to live normal lives. They will pay considerable sums for his services."

"There aren't dwarven flesh crafters?"

"They specialize in crafting skills as a race, but flesh crafting, despite its name, is not a crafting skill, but a group of spell skills. Elves focus on shaping skills, of which flesh crafting is one. Another source of resentment between the two races."

"And they don't have Healers of their own?"

"Maybe, but a professional Healer isn't cheap. And with the Mana-infused flames and the number of injuries, you are looking at needing at least five healers, even with potions, to prevent permanent scarring. While it might seem like professional Healers are cheap since I am with you, we aren't that common."